Creating Mirror Sites of EMIS with rsync

Important: This document describes the currently preferred version of
mirroring with the EMIS rsync server. For the older, not any more endorsed
style of mirroring, please click here.

Please follow these instructions to create a new mirror site. If you
only want to update an existing mirror site or switch from old-style
mirroring via FTP to the current procedure via RSYNC, then please click
here.

System and Hardware requirements

The mirror should run on a UNIX workstation with installed and publicly accessible HTTP server (see below). This machine can be used also for other purposes than providing mirroring of EMIS. In any case, it should be checked that the disk space available for EMIS is sufficient.

Disk space reserved for EMIS should be no less than 100 gigabytes. EMIS has been growing at a rate of almost 40% per year over the past years. With the growth rate expected to slow down somewhat in 2010, a disk/partition size of 100 GB will ensure sufficient space to about until the end of 2011, but probably not through the whole of 2012.

Software requirements

Install a HTTP-server, e.g. NCSA httpd, if you don't already have
one. Get the newest version form
the
original site
or ask archie for your nearest mirror site.
Follow the included instructions to compile and install it. This
should be easy.

If you want the mirror to be accessible via ftp, enable
anonymous FTP. If you don't already have a ftpd, use
wu-ftpd.

Install the rsync software
following the included instructions. This is easy.

If you want the mirror to be accessible via rsync, you must configure an
rsync server, see the
rsyncd.conf documentation
for details.

Configure your system

The files of the EMIS-mirror will go to the
"/pub/EMIS/" directory of your anonymous ftp area.
(If you don't plan to make the mirror accessible via ftp, use another
path.) Create this directory:

In case you would like to call the server "www.emis.??your-country??"
please do

ln -s /??path-to-anon-ftp-root??/pub/EMIS /??http-Document-Path??

instead. You will then have to obtain a domain "emis.??your-country??"
from your local authorities and configure an appropriate DNS name
server for this domain. (Ask the author of this document for more info.)

Configure the mirror system to copy updated files. Add the following
line to ??user??'s crontab: